This article is also featured on Reservation For Six

He seems comfortable in Houston, and has shown even at 36 that his "stuff" is as good as ever. He may be a little more costly than last year, but he will be a much cheaper option than last year's closer, Jose Valverde. I figure that it will take a two-year deal worth about $8M ($4M per) to bring back Hawkins.On my bench, Blum and Keppinger are back in the infield. I would also bring in Fernando Tatis for a little RH pop, and Endy Chavez for speed and defense. The two taken together should cost about $4M next year.Below I have listed out the team and their relative cost for the 2010 season.

I think this is a viable squad for the Astros to run out next year. This team could compete (and I daresay WIN) in the NL Central in 2010, and for LESS money.This team ended up costing me about $94M.Lineup: CF: Michael Bourn 2B: Kaz Matsui 1B: Lance Berkman LF: Carlos Lee RF: Hunter Pence 3B: Adrian Beltre C: Humberto Quintero, JR Towles SS: Tommy ManzellaRotation: SP: Roy Oswalt SP: Wandy Rodriguez SP: Ben Sheets SP: Todd Wellemeyer SP: Bud NorrisCloser: LaTroy Hawkins RP: Brian Moehler RP: Jeff Fulchino RP: Alberto Arias RP: Tim Byrdak RP: Wesley Wright RP: Chris SampsonBench IF: Geoff Blum Bench IF: Jeff Keppinger Bench OF: Endy Chavez Bench OF: Fernando Tatis$48M Lee, Berkman, Oswalt $10M Matsui, Moehler, Blum $10M Pence, Wandy $4M Hawkins (2/8M) $4M $0.4M each for: Manzella, Towles, Keppinger, Fulchino, Sampson, Wright, Norris, Arias and $0.8M Quintero) $5M Ben Sheets ($5M guaranteed incentives) $3M Todd Wellemeyer (2/$7M) $6M Adrian Beltre (3/$18M) $1.5M Fernando Tatis $2M Endy ChavezThat leaves roughly $6.5M left over.. The downtrodden USC Trojans and surprisingly upstart UCLA Bruins seemed to be headed in opposite directions before they faced each other on Saturday. Southern Cal had endured two of the most embarrassing losses in the history of the university to Oregon and Stanford in the previous three weeks.Meanwhile, UCLA was riding a three-game winning streak as they headed into Saturdays much-anticipated matchup at the Coliseum.The Bruins, as well as their fanbase had known that, if there was ever a year for an upset over the hated Men of Troy, 2009 is it.In a topsy-turvy college football season where surprising programs like TCU and Cincinnati round out the top-five teams in the AP rankings, leave it to a rivalry game to reinstate a sense of predictability to our lives.Having won 10 of their 11 previous matchups, USC defeated UCLA 28-7 in the 79th installment of this heated crosstown affair. While the game unto itself was mostly forgettable, it was more competitive than most Trojan fans would like to admit.Southern Cal didnt score any offensive points until the third quarter, when DB Will Harris intercepted a Kevin Prince pass that set the Trojans up at the Bruin 29-yard line.In spite of great field position, USC still required seven plays to drive less than 30 yards forpay-dirt. In fact, the outcome of this game was still in doubt until Southern Cal made the score 21-7 on a second touchdown run by bruising tailback Allen Bradford, who replaced an injured Joe McKnight, with 1:30 left in the fourth quarter.The defining moments of the battle started with only 44 seconds remaining in the game, and this is the part that will stick with fans of both schools for years to come.UCLA still had all three times out remaining, and Bruin head coach Rick Neuheisel elected to use their first time out when USC, up two scores with less than a minute left, lined up in a victory formation and opted to take a knee on first down to run out the clock.Neuheisel courageously demonstrated a never-say-die attitude toward UCLAs hated rival.

This mentality should not be unexpected as Neuheisel continues to set the tone for his program in his second year as the head football coach in Westwood.USC head coach Pete Carroll merely obliged Neuheisel with quid-pro-quo: If youre not ready to quit, then neither are we.QB Matt Barkleys ensuing 48-yard play-action touchdown bomb to All-Conference wideout Damian Williams, the play that has Bruin fans and various pundits in an uproar, was downplayed by both coaches after the game."You're either competing or you're not," USC coach Pete Carroll said in response to the controversial play call."Our job is to cover, and they have every right to throw deep," Neuheisel said "People can make their own conclusions Our job is to stop the play ... I don't blame them for doing it."If the coaches are okay with the play call, then fans should be, too. Based on the fact that the game wasnt a blowout, the late TD to Williams wasnt nearly as egregious a play call as Stanford head coach Jim Harbaughs decision to go for two when Stanford already led USC 48-21 two weeks ago.The notion of hanging a 50-spot on the Trojans was purely vanity-driven. Carrolls decision to go for the jugular was merely gamesmanship after Neuheisel effectively communicated through his use of times out that UCLA wasnt ready to throw in the towel yet.But theplay-call alone wasnt the most disturbing part of the fourth quarter. This would come soon afterward.USCs players on the sidelines showed little to no class was when they collectively moved onto the field to taunt the Bruins after the last touchdown put USC up three scores. Charles Chandler of the Charlotte Observer is reporting that Carolina Panthers head coach John Fox is considering benching quarterback Jake Delhomme. Delhomme is having the worst season of his career, and his poor play is pulling the Panthers down. This article is also featured on Reservation For Six.